Valve for water-closets



(No Model.)

W. SCOTT.

VALVE POR WATER GL'OSBTS. 110,331,556. Patented Dee, 1.1885.

i Mm

y UNITED STATES- PATENT Genion.

VILLIAM SCOTT, `OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

VALVE FOR WATER-CLOSETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 331,556, dated December l, 1885.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM SCOTT, of Malden, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valves for XVater- Closets, &c., of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to iioatvalves having passages for the ingress and egress of air and water, and arranged in connection with the discharge-pipe of a water-tank or other tanks containing liquids, to be opened for the discharge of the liquid in the tanks through said discharge-pipe, and to be closed from the action of the liquid in the tank upon the valves, and it consists in a construction of the valve for said water and air passages, and

' in the arrangement of mechanism for operatand operating mechanism for the valve, showing the valve in one of its open positions, as

4 also its operating mechanism in the corresponding position therefor. The tank is in vertical section. Fig. 3 is a similar View to Fig. 2, but showing the valve as in another of its open` positions, as also its operating mechanism in the corresponding position therefor.

In the drawings, A is a water-tank, and B an outlet or discharge pipe leading from it, and C the overow-pipe in communication with dischargepipe, all and otherwise, except as hereinafter particularly described, as usual in the water-system of dwellinghouses, hotels, and other buildings.

D is a hollow orchambered valve, made of sheet metal or of other suitable materialand of suitable shape-as, for instance, hernispherical-and its upper side, E, is convex, andits under side, F, is at, and it is provided with a washer or packing-disk, a,-of leather or'other suitable material,which,when thev'alve is closed rests upon and makes close contact with the upper end or seat, G, of the outlet-pipe B, opening into and leading from the tank, and thus closes said pipe to the escape through it of water from the tank. The valve-seat G is below the water-level of the tank, and the valve D, at rest thereon and closed,is wholly submerged in the water of the tank.

b is a vertical passage, made of a tube, H, which is inserted in the lower side, F, of the valve, and opens to the valve-chamber J at its lower portion, and this tube H, when the valve is closed, enters into the open end of a vertical pipe, K, leading from the tank at the upper open end of its discharge-pipe.

d is another vertical passage, made of a tube, L, which leads from and opens toV the upper portion of the chamber J of the valve, and passes through and out of the bottom of the valve downward in a line coincident with the vertical axis of the discharge-pipe and through a fixed horizontal guiding-collar, M, of `said discharge-pipe, and at its lower end below said collar, has a shouldering collar, N. The fixed guide-collar M is left open aboutit for the free passage of water from the tank through the discharge-pipe when the valve is opened, and the shouldering collar N of the vertical tube L acts as a stop by abutting against the under side of said fixed collar M, to the upward movement or lift of the valve from its seat G, when the valve is opened, as will hereinafter appear.

The two passages b and d, above described, make communication with the chamber J of the valve, and are respectively for the ingress and egress of the water of the tank and of air.

By arranging the air pipe or passage d in the peculiar manner set forth and shown the stem of the valve D is made to subserve two purposes-namely, to act as a guide for the valve and as an airpipe.

It is more desirable and simple to have the air-pipe arranged as stated :ratherI than to extend it upwardly through the water above the water-level, for the reason that such upward extension requires av great length of pipe, itmakes a more rigid connection between the valve and its operating mechanism, and its tendency is to incline or cant to one side,

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a line coincident with the vertical axis ofthe upward and downward movement of the valve as it is guided by the tubular airpassage dL, which passes through the fixed guide-collar M. This stem O at its upper portion passes loosely through the cross-piece /,which makes the lower end of a vertical and rectangular shaped link lor yoke, P, and above said crosspiece, within said yoke, said stem O has a shouldering collar, h. The yoke at its upper end is suspended from the horizonal arrn Q of a lever, R,which turns upon a txed horizontal fulcrum-pin, c,ofa stationary standard, S, and at its upper edge, over its fulcrum 7c, has an upward-projecting nose, T, rounded at its upper end, Z, and upon one side, m, its other side,

n, being substantially straight and vertical.

The lever R in its normal position rests by its arm Q, connected, as above described, to the valve D, upon a stationary stop or rest block, T2, suitably located therefor.

U is another horizontal lever located above the lever R, and, as shown, in line therewith. This lever U has a slot or elongated opening or bearing, g, Figs. l, 2, and 3, by which it is hung on a iixed horizontal pin, r, ofthe standard S, and the lever is made with an upwardj Y vertical, side or edge, b2.

projecting crank-portion, X. AThe arm V of the upper lever, U, is provided with a weight, Y, suitably adapted to be adjusted thereon to increase or decrease the leverage to be exerted by said lever on the valve, as will hereinafter appear, and its arm W projects downward toward and in line with the arm Z of the under lever, It, and carries at its outer end an adjustable vertical set-screw, t, making at its end d2, when the two levers are at rest and in their normal positions, Fig. `l, and for a certain portion of the swing of the levers U R upon their respective iulcrum-pins, a bearing upon the upper surfacafz, of the horizontal projection A2 at oneside of the arm Z ofthe lower or valve lever77 R, as it will be hereinafter designated for convenience.

, The upper or operating7 lever, as it will be hereinafter designated for convenience, in its normal position rests against an abutment, B2, of the standard S. The operating-lever U, between its arms V W, on its under edge, has a downward-projecting nose, G2, having a straight vertical side or edge, @Zand a rounded The nose, of the operating-lever U, when said lever and the valve-lever Rare in their normalposition of rest, (Fig. 1,) has itsrounded side b2 presented toward the rounded side mof the nose of the valve-lever and said rounded side of the nose of the operating-lever when the operating-lever is pulled through its crank in the direction of the arrow D2, swinging it by its elongated bearing upon the fulcrum-pin r, and against its weighted arm V, rides up and upon the said rounded side m of the nose of the valvelever R,and finally from continuing to so swing the lever its said nose passes over and beyond the upper end of the nose of the valve-lever, thereby bringing its straight and upright side oredge al on the same side withl the straight and upright side or edge n of the nose of the valve-lever, to which it is presented by the then fall of the operating-lever, which, during the swing of the upper lever, above described, has lifted, the elongated fulcrum-bearing q of the operating-lever allowing of the lift and fall thereof as the same is so swung upon its fulcrum-pin r, Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The crank portion X of the operating-lever is to be suitably connected by a chain or otherwise toan y suitable operating device--as, for'instance, to

the floor or door or seat of a water-closet, or to a handle, knob, or other pull-and when the operatinglever is operated through its crank portion, as above described, it first,

through its bearing d2 of its arm W upon the v surfacef2 of the arm Z of the valve-lever R, depresses said arm Zand raises the other arm, Q, of said valve-lever, lifting the valve from its seat and opening the water-passage B, and continues to so depress the arm- Z and to raise the arm Y Q of valve-lever until, from the continued swing of the two levers, the contact of the bearing d2 of operating-lever U with surface f2 of valve-lever R is broken by the escape of each from the other at the end g2, of

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the bearing surface fZ of the valve-lever.

While the operating-lever is depressing the arm Z and raising the arm Q of valve-lever R, as above described, and just about the time the bearing-surfaces d2 and f2 of the two levers break contact at g", the bearing-surface b2' of nose C'l of operating-lever begins to press against the bearing-surface m of nose T of valve-lever, and vthus to force the valve-lever back to its normal position, and rest upon the abutmentblock T'2 therefor', and,iinally,riding upward over said surface m of nose T, the nose C2 of operating-lever passes beyond and to the opposite side of nose T of valve-lever and drops into a positionat that side in which f.

its edge or bearing-surface a2 is presented -to the edge or bearing-surface n of said nose T.

The bearingsurfaces a2 and u of the noses of the two levers R andU remain in the position statedfso long as the power or force applied to the operatingdever to swing it to open the valve, as has been described, is continued, The returnof the valve-lever to its rest, as 'abovedescribed, sets the valve free to return to its seat as and in the manner hereinafter described, forthe reason that the support of the valve, through its stem O upon the loop P, is then removed.

On a release of the operating-lever, when its nose C2 and the nose T of the valvelever have their bearing-surfaces a2 and n presented to each other, as above described, the weighted arm V of the operating-lever then works to return said lever to its normal position, and in so returning t-he edge a2 of its nose GZ VWorks against the bearing-surface or edge n of the nose T of valve-lever, and thereby raises the arm Qof said lever, lifting the valve from its seat, if it is then seated, and opening the water-passage B, if it is then closed, and at the same time the nose Cz of the operatinglever, riding over the nose T of the valvelever, finally passes to the side thereof at which it was and from which it passed during the raising` of the arm Q of the valve-lever and the opening of the valve and water-passage from the working of the bearing dz of operating-lever upon the bearing]c2 of valve- 'lever, before described, and the lever U itself f into its normal position and rest against the abutment B2 therefor.

AfterA the nose of the operating-lever has passed the nose of the valve-lever, as de scribed, the valve-lever and also the valve are released to their own motions, thelever to return to its rest upon its rest-block l2 and the valve to return to its seat, as and in the manner hereinafter described. W'ith the two levers again in their normal positions, they are in readiness for another operation thereof and of the valve, as described.

From the above description it is apparent that a continuous pull upon the crank of the operating-lever U in the direction of the arrow D2 secures, iirst, a lifting of the valve from its seat, and then a location of the operating-lever U in relation to the valve-lever, to cause, on the return movement of the operating-lever, and when it is released to the action of its Weighted arm, another lifting of the valve. Again, it is apparent that in the operations of the levers It and U, above described, the valve-lever, at its end connected to the valve, in both opera-tions to open the valve, moves in the same direction-that is, upward-while the operating-lever, atits end connected for operating it, moves in opposite directions-that is, downward and upward. Consequently, for each. of these operations to openthe valve with a movement of thevalvelever in both of them in the same direction-Q that is, upward-at its end connected to the valve, and a movement of the operating-lever at its end connected for operating it in opposite directions-that is, downward and upward-two different sets of working-bear-V ings for the levers upon each other must be provided, those of one set at an angle more or less right to those of the other set, and one set for action during the downward moveu ment, and the other set for action during the its end connected for operating it, and the levers must be adapted to pass in Atheir opera-` tion from action at and by one set of said sets of Working bearings to action at and by the other set thereof, allof which, under a construction and arrangement of the levers, substanti ally such as herein described, is obtained in a most practical and efficient manner; and as to the levers for opening the valve, as has been described, this invention in substance consists in the combination of two levers, to wit: an operating-lever and a valvelever,constructed and arranged to work in a relation toV and upon each other substantially as herein described-that is, so as to secure from an operating-leve'r from its movement in opposite directions, and from each of them, the movement of a lever connected to the valve in one and the same direction.

In Fig. 2 the valve is shown as lifted from the first operation and in Fig. Sas lifted from the second operation of the levers to lift the same, and after either lift of thevalve, as described, the valve is left to itself to close upon itsseat, because of the then immediate drop of the yoke-connection from its support under the shouldered end of the valve-stem by t-he return of the valve-lever toits normal position of rest upon the rest-block.

Vhen the valve is lifted from its seat-opening, the discharge-pipe Bof the tan-kin either of the operations ofthe levers R U described, as it is hollow,it at first floats upward through the waterand as the water-passage b at its IOO lower side is then opened to the water in the tank it begins to llrwith water from the tank, the air of the valve passing out of it down` ward through the air-passage d, and thus it is finally sufficiently weighted to cause it to fall to its seat, closing said discharge-pipe and y entering its said water-passage b into the pipe K therefor, through which the water that has entered into the valve, when raised, as described, is then discharged, rendering the valve capable of another operation, as before.

The first lifting of the valve described is for the purpose of securing what is known as a preliminary wash,77 and the second lifting of the valve described is for the purpose of securing what is known as the after Wash of the water closet bowl when the valve is used in connection with' such bowls, and as the preliminary Wash is only required to be small in quantity as compared with the quantity required for the after wash, the lever mechanism for lifting the valve is arranged so as to lift the valve from its seat but slightly for the preliminary wash, and, as a consequence, the closing of the valve will be then secured more by the suction ot' the Water rushing out of the tank through pipe K, to make connection with the waterpassage b ofthe valve when the valve is closed,

is open to the water in the tank, and to obviate any considerable waste of water in consequence thereof through said pipe it is preferable to use a pipe of small diameter and to contract its water-passage, as shown at 7a2, Fig. 1, such a pipe affording all necessary outlet for the escape of the water from the valve when the valve is closed.

The pipe L, making the air-passage d of the valve,together with the fixed collar M, guide the valve in its up-and-down movement, and it is preferable to suspend the valve from the yoke P so that the valve seated does not rest by its shouldered collar h upon the yoke, but is allowed a little vertical play thereat to insure a perfect closing of the valve upon its seat.

A valve having an air-passage, d, leading from its upper part downward, substantially as described, may have its water-passage b open directly into the discharge-pipe B instead of into a separate discharge, K, as described; and, again, the separate water-discharge-pipe H for the valve may be combined with an air-passage leading upward,or other-l wise, from the valve instead of downward, as described; but in all cases air-communication must be had outside of the watercontained in the tank, and a water-communication for the valve with the tank and with a suitable discharge to enable the water of the tank to enter said valve and to be discharged therefrom, substantially as described.

The yoke-connection herein shown and described between the valve and its lever may be dispensed with, and either a slack-chain connection, or, again, a wire rod or other rigid connection preferably hung at both ends to the valve and its lever may be substituted therefor.

If the connection of valve and valve-lever is a rigid one, as for instance, made by awire rod, as aforesaid, dispensing with the yoke, the closing of the valve after being first opened by the downward swing of the operating-lever would be then insured by the forced return of the valve-lever to its seat on the rest-block T2 by the working of the bearing faces or surfaces b2 and m of the two levers, as hereinbefore described.

In lieu of arranging the operating-lever to lift and fall for its nose to ride and pass over the nose of the valve-lever, as shown and de scribed, this arrangement of the operatinglever may be dispensed with, and the same result secured by a similar arrangement of the valve-lever, combined with a suitable spring or springs by which to force it back into position after the nose of the operating-lever has passed over and by its nose; again, both levers may be arranged to have a joint movement, such as has been described for each of them; again, this movement of either lever may be dispensed with and the noses themselves,either one or both, adapted to move for theone to pass by the other,and afterward to the particular valve shown.

return totheir normal position-as, for instance inV this manner, by hinging them or either of them to their respective lever and abutting them against the same, and combining with them springs suitably applied there- Patent of the United States on improvements in water-closet valves, led by me November 26, 1884, Serial No. 148,912.

Concerning the mechanism herein described through which the valve is opened and allowed to close, it is apparent that the operating-lever has a reciprocating movement, that in the movement of the operating-lever in one direction it works by a face, d2, thereof against a face, f2, of an abutment which is connected to the valve, and thus the operating lever raises or opens the valve, and after so opening the valve in the continuation of the movement of the operating-lever in the samedirection the said working-face d2 of said lever escapes from the said working-face]E2 of said abutment of the valve, and thus leaves it (the valve) free to close; and, furthermore, it isapparent that in the movement of the operatinglever in the other direction said lever Works by a face, a2, thereof against a face, n, of said abutment, and thus the operating-lever again raises or opens the valve, and after so opening the valve in the continuation of the movement of the operating-lever in the same direction the said working-face a2 of said lever escapes from the said working-face n of said abutment of the valve, and thus leaves it (the valve) again free to close, and brings the workingface d2 of said lever, which worked againstv said working-face]2 of said abutment of the valve in the previous movement of the lever, and thus lifted the valve as aforesaid to position for operation to again lift or open the valve when the operating-lever is again moved in the proper direction therefor.

The mechanism for lifting the valves as herein described obviously may be used with valves of other constructions, and therefore it is not intended to limit said mechanism of itself to rllhel adjustable setscrew t of the operating-lever enables the bearing of said lever upon the valvelever to be adjusted as desired.

Having thus described my inventiomwhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. The combination, with the discharge-p-ipe B, of a tank, of a chambered valve, D, hav- IOO ing an air-passage, d, leading from its chamber downward into said discharge-pipe, and

a suitable water-passage, b, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

5 2. The combination, withthe discharge-pipe B of a tank, of a chambered valve, D, having a suitable air-passage leading therefrom, andawater-passage, b, making connection with a discharge-pipe,K, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, with the dischargepipe B of a tank, of a chambered valve, I), having an air-passage, d, leading from its chamber downward into said discharge-pipe B, and a water-passage, b, making connection with a discharge-pipe, K, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

4. The combination,with a tank for liquid, an outlet or discharge pipe for the liquid, and a valve to said outletpipe, of a reciprocating lever for operating said valve and having faces cl2 a2, and of an abutment for said lever connected to the valve, and having faces f2 n, and said lever and said abutment adapted in one movement of said lever for said lever to work by its face (l2 against the face f2 of said abutment, and thus to lift and open the valve and then to escape therefrom and leave the valve free to close, and in the other movement of said lever for said lever to work by its face a2 against the face n of said abutment, and thus to again lift and open the valve, and then to escape therefrom and leave the valve free to close, substantially as described.

5. rlhe combination, with a tank for liquid, and an outlet or discharge pipe for the liquid, and a valve to said outlet-pipe, of a reciprocating lever for operating said valve, and l1aving faces dzbla, and of an abutment for said 4o lever connected to the valve, and having faces f2 m n, and said lever and said abutment adapted in one movement of said lever for said lever to work by its face d2 against the face f 2 of said abutment, and thus to lift and 45 open the valve, and then to escape therefrom, and also the face b'l of said lever, from the face m of said abutment, and leave the valve free to close, and in the other movement of said lever for said lever to work by its face a2 against 5o the face a of said abutment, and thus to again lift and open the valve, and then to escape therefrom, leaving the valve free to close and to bring the faces d2 b2 of the lever and the faces f 2 m of the abutment into position for 55 operation substantially as described.

6. The combination,with a valve to a waterpassage, B, ofW an operating-lever, U, and a valvelever, R, which is connected to said valve, and both levers constructed and ar` ranged substantially as described, whereby, from the movement of the operating-lever in opposite directions, the valvelever is moved in the same direction, for the purpose specied.

7. The combination,.with a tank for liquid, an outlet and discharge pipe for the liquid, and a valve to said outlet-pipe, of a reciprocating lever for operating said valve, and having faces d2 a2, and of an abutment for said lever, which is carried by a reciprocating lever connected to the valve, and has faces f2 u, and said lever and said abutment adapted in one movement of said lever for said lever to work by its face d2 against the face f2 of said abutment, and thus to lift and open the valve, and then to escape therefrom and leave the valve free to close, and in the other movement of said lever for said lever to work by its face a2 against the face a of said abutment, and thus to again lift and open the valve, and then to escape therefrom and leave the valve free to close, substantially as described.

8. In combination with a valve of a water passage, B, a valve-lever, B, connected to said valve, and provided with bearing-surfacesf, m, and n, and an operating-lever,U,to operate lever B, and provided with bearing-surfaces d2, b2, and a2, which are arranged in relation to each other and to the said bearing-surfaces of valvelever,and said levers arranged in relation to each other, and the whole operating from the forward and backward movement of operating-lever U, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

9. In combination with avalve for opening and closing a passage, B, the operating-lever U, having bearing-surfaces d2 52rd, weighted arm V, elongated bearing g, fulcrum-pin r, and abutment B2, and the valve-lever R, having bearing-surfaces f2 m a, fulcrum 7c, and abutment T", substantially as and for the pur poses and operations described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM soorr.

Witnesses):

EDWIN W. BROWN, WM. S. BnLLows. 

